I've just watched McCullin, a recent film by Jacqui Woods about the photojournalist Donald McCullin. I would urge anyone interested in his style of photography to seek it out and watch it. My respect for him has risen somewhat, both as a photographer and a human being. The film is extremely well made and at times so moving it is almost impossible to watch. It is not just about reportage photography but searingly exposes the monstrous side of humanity's nature. He's lived a grim life. It's up for a BAFTA award, I hope it gets one.

I've just watched McCullin, a recent film by Jacqui Woods about the photojournalist Donald McCullin. I would urge anyone interested in his style of photography to seek it out and watch it. My respect for him has risen somewhat, both as a photographer and a human being. The film is extremely well made and at times so moving it is almost impossible to watch. It is not just about reportage photography but searingly exposes the monstrous side of humanity's nature. He's lived a grim life. It's up for a BAFTA award, I hope it gets one.

Haven't seen the film, but have one of his books called, jiust, Don McCullin.

Sad personal losses too - but I guess it's what goes to make the man. I respect him a lot.

I saw some of his landscape work (he lives relatively local) in a gallery in Bruton. I travelled there specifically to see his work I was underwhelmed. His reportage is first class, his landscape work less so.

I saw some of his landscape work (he lives relatively local) in a gallery in Bruton. I travelled there specifically to see his work I was underwhelmed. His reportage is first class, his landscape work less so.

I have only seen some few examples of his take on landscape, but it seems a reflection of his life shooting death, I fear: dark, gloomy and not uplifting at all. The outer wasteland, then.

Having gone through the things that he has, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it has all left an indelible mark on his psyche. Personally, I don't think I would have been left capable of functioning at all.

Having gone through the things that he has, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it has all left an indelible mark on his psyche. Personally, I don't think I would have been left capable of functioning at all.

Rob C

That's rather how I felt after watching it, the uplifting part is that he DID survive his experiences, albeit with some scars to his psyche I think. The film is made by a small London based production company so global distribution may be slow, but it has had great reviews and is released by Artificial Eye, so it should filter down as a Blu Ray/DVD to non UK territories eventually and maybe to online distribution like iTunes (yuk!).

Having gone through the things that he has, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it has all left an indelible mark on his psyche. Personally, I don't think I would have been left capable of functioning at all.

His wife (afaik) died of cancer; so did mine. We'd been an item for 54 years, right from schooldays.

When it hits so close and so hard, you never ditch it; it's in the back or front of your mind all your waking hours and then the dreams - they just go round and round and confuse you even more. Pretty isn't the first thing you see when you go outside.

But that's the way life goes, unless you both hit a concrete bridge at a hundred miles an hour, or something. You find yourself split between thinking of all the wonderful years, getting angry at you know not what (it's pointless), and then feeling lucky to have had the good experience for so long. As I said, it goes round and round... I suppose the thing gets magnified by the emptiness which isn't loneliness as one would ordinarily imagine it, but something quite different.

But, it's not really anything one can chat about much, so again, thanks for your good thoughts.